Apparatus of plural charged-particle beams
US10879031B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 26, 2019 |
| Grant date | Dec 29, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 26, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/1536
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.